


carnation, lily, lily, rose

by jillyfae



Category: Seven Kingdoms: The Princess Problem (Visual Novel)
Genre: 7KPP Secret Santa 2016, Adorable, F/F, Fluff, Language of Flowers, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 22:50:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9094201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jillyfae/pseuds/jillyfae
Summary: Penelope has never felt as "perfect" as her brother, but maybe the Summit will give her a chance to find herself, and something even better than "perfection". Or someone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> for [punkyhime](http://punkyhime.tumblr.com/) on tumblr

“Oh how lovely!” Penelope couldn’t resist leaning forward to let her fingertips brush against the flowers in the centerpiece, the fancy rippled petals of white carnations giving her a much needed boost of hope for the upcoming Summit. “They mean good luck, did you know?” **  
**

An instant later, she recognized in the slightly widened eyes around her that she had, yet again, rushed into behaving less than perfectly.

Princess Cordelia rescued her, a graceful tilt of her head. “I did not know that, thank you Princess.”

Penelope smiled her gratitude, and sat back in her chair, determined to manage better throughout the rest of dinner.

First impressions were important.

She had excellent etiquette instructors. It was just … she hated to think someone else might be uncomfortable, or that she might miss that one delightful moment whenever you managed to find a shared interest with a new acquaintance, and as such she always seemed to have said at least three things before she’d finished thinking about the first one.

(Plus she did always want people to like her, and how would they like her if they didn’t know her, and how would they get to know her if she didn’t do or say anything?)

She didn’t know how Lisle always kept track of everything he did. Always.

She was probably going to need to learn, before the Summit was over.

She did manage to keep track of her spoons and forks and switched her attention properly between both her immediate neighbors for the rest of the meal. Perhaps she was better at this than she thought?

Luckily Lord Blain was just far enough away that she could ignore him, even if she could still hear him being terribly rude to the ladies around him. She offered them a sympathetic smile, and was pleasantly surprised to see how warmly the Princess Cordelia nodded at her when she turned her attention back to her own section of the table.

She almost felt like blushing, but it was a nice feeling, not embarrassment or nerves, and she didn't stop smiling for the rest of dinner.

* * *

It was several days before she was seated near the Princess Cordelia again, this time at a small tea the Princess Jaslen had insisted she attend. There were quite too many people for the size of the room, and there was a pointed edge to the gossip she recognized from some of the more politically minded members of her parents’ Court, though she wasn’t familiar enough with the other delegates to follow their meanings.

She had just resigned herself to sitting awkwardly and silently and sipping her tea for the next hour, when one of the young ladies from Arland made a comment on the decorations, and Princess Cordelia turned to Penelope to ask if she could tell them anything about the choice of flowers.

_Oh._

Apparently she hadn’t made as awkward a first impression as she’d thought.

“Tiger lillies? Aren’t they lovely?” Cordelia smiled, and for a moment Penelope forgot what she was going to say next. “I do think they’re very like Princess Jaslen, don’t you?”

Lady Maria nodded stiffly and Penelope smiled at her. She felt absolutely delighted to see Maria relax and smile back.

“They’re a little extravagant and confident. Proud, but nice about it.” Lilies had such large soft petals, the tiger ones all orangey and stripey. She’d heard that some of the more conservative groups in Arland considered lilies vulgar, so wide open and deep, but she’d always thought them beautiful. “I love how bright and happy they are, don’t you?”

She heard a soft murmur of agreement, and tried not to blink at the realization that several other ladies were listening to her speak. 

“They’re supposed to be an offering for friendship. I think that’s an excellent sign for this afternoon?” She trailed off, not wanting to repeat herself too much, but somehow that had been enough, for something, and she and Maria and Cordelia and Lady Estelle managed a quite pleasant conversation about tea and cookies and flowers until Princess Jaslen sent them all on their way.

* * *

Her butler had made a distressingly frowning sort of face at her when she’d asked, but she’d been permitted to wander the gardens with her own small shears and a few damp towels so she could choose her own small bouquet to bring as a hostess gift to the next tea she was attending.

She couldn’t very well arrive without something. That would be terribly impolite, and no one could be impolite to Cordelia. The very thought made Penelope squirm.

Cordelia had always seemed interested in Penelope’s comments about flowers, and perhaps she should try and find some other topics of conversation, but there were just so many different kinds, and they all needed different care, and had different meanings, but they were all so beautiful if you were kind to them.

Plants were so much simpler than people.

Except Cordelia. After that very first nod at the Welcoming Feast Penelope had felt almost as easy around her as she did around her brother.

Well. Maybe easy wasn’t the right word, but it was always wonderful to see her, and she was always so lovely, and poised, and kind. Penelope was happy to spend time with her at whatever Summit event they’d found themselves at, as often as she could. But she’d been wandering the gardens for over an hour, and she had to head back soon to change and make sure she didn’t have any mud stuck to her boots, but she couldn’t show-up empty handed!

_Oh._

There, _there_ , delicate and refined and beautiful, just like Cordelia. Lily of the Valley stood for purity and sweetness … they were perfect. Beyond perfect.

Maybe she wouldn’t mention they were also given for luck in love and frequently found in bride’s bouquets. Penelope ignored the heat in her cheeks, dipped down to her knees to clip a few stems, wrapped them carefully, and hurried back to her rooms.

* * *

“Penelope.” Cordelia ducked her head as she spoke, and Penelope could feel her heartbeat in her throat at the fall of Cordelia’s hair, dark and soft and thick. She didn’t think she could manage words past it, so instead she simply held out her present, small white bells curving above bright green leaves, held in a small glass bud-vase her butler had magically presented when she’d returned to her rooms.

“Oh.” Cordelia almost gasped, and Penelope could have sworn she could see her swallow before she reached out and took the vase, setting it carefully beside the tea tray. “They’re beautiful, thank you.”

Penelope felt oddly breathless as she replied. “You’re welcome.”

“I have something for you, as well.” Cordelia paused, making no movement after she’d finished speaking.

Penelope waited.

“I mean, if you’d,” Cordelia stopped again, and Penelope blinked. _Is she nervous?_

She’d never seen Cordelia nervous before. Penelope was reasonably sure she’d never been the cause of anyone being nervous, excepting her ability to make _herself_  anxious.

Cordelia bit her lip, and Penelope couldn’t stand it anymore, reaching out across the small space between them until she could just touch Cordelia’s hands. “It’s nothing, you don’t have to-”

“It is not nothing.” Cordelia lifted her chin, voice quiet and steady. “You have been very kind to me.”

Penelope felt her cheeks heat again, felt the warmth of Cordelia’s skin beneath her fingertips, and could only wait, hopelessly, hopefully, unable to manage a single extra word.

“I made this for you,” Cordelia voice had dropped, almost a whisper, and the warmth of her hands beneath Penelope’s disappeared, to be replaced with the cool smooth surface of a small box.

Penelope was afraid Cordelia would notice she was trembling as she carefully untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. She blinked, her eyes hot and full. It was a handkerchief with the most exquisite pink roses she’d ever seen embroidered on the corner.

“You made this?” She sniffed. Her heart burned. _Roses._  Everyone knew what roses meant. “For me?”

“Yes.”

Penelope shifted closer on the settee, until her knee bumped against the side of Cordelia’s leg, and this time when she reached her hand out she took Cordelia’s hand in her properly, fingers curling together, her palms warm and skin so very soft to the touch. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Cordelia’s hand squeezed, and Penelope didn’t care that she was blushing.

She’d never felt so perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> why yes the title was inspired by [the Sargent painting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnation,_Lily,_Lily,_Rose#/media/File:John_Singer_Sargent_-_Carnation,_Lily,_Lily,_Rose_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg). It captures the appropriate level of sweet and light, I think, even if I used entirely different sorts of lilies.


End file.
